Part 5

Then the Sultan spoke and took them to task harshly: do you preach the Cross and scorn it thus? It would seem then that you love your God only with show of words and not with deeds. Your behaviour and your manners do not meet with my liking.

The truce was broken off, and the war began again. [51]

XXVI

HERE IT IS TOLD OF A BURGHER OF FRANCE

A burgher of France had a wife who was extremely fair.

Once she was at a festival with other women of the city. And there was present a very beautiful woman who was much looked at by all. The burgher’s wife said to herself: if I had so fine a tunic as she has, I should be no less looked at than she is.

She returned home to her husband and showed him a cross face.

Her husband asked her frequently why she was so aggrieved. And the woman replied: because I am not dressed so that I can be with other women. For at such and such a feast, the other women who were not so fair as I am were looked at, but I was not for my ugly tunic. [52]

Then her husband promised her that with his first earnings he would buy her a fine tunic.

But a few days passed when a burgher came to him and asked for the loan of ten marks. And he offered him a gain of two marks at a certain date. The husband replied: I will have none of it, for my soul would be in danger of hell fire. And the wife said: Oh, you disloyal traitor, you will not do it so that you need not buy me my tunic.

Then the burgher, through the urgings of his wife, lent the money for an interest of two marks, and bought his wife the tunic. The wife went to mass with the other women.

At that time there lived Merlin.

And one man spoke and said: by Saint John, that is a most fair lady.

And Merlin, the wise prophet, spoke and said: truly she is fair, if only the enemies of God did not share that tunic with her.

And the lady turned and said: tell me in what way the enemies of God have a share in my tunic.

He answered: lady, I will tell you. Do you remember when you went to a certain feast, where the other women were more regarded than you because of your ugly tunic? And you returned and showed yourself cross to your husband? And he promised to buy you a tunic with his first earnings? And a few days afterwards, a burgher came to borrow ten marks, at a usury of two, whereon you urged your husband to do this? So from this ungodly gain does your tunic come. Tell me, lady, if I have erred in aught.

Certainly, sir, in naught have you erred, answered the lady. And God forbid that such an ungodly tunic should remain upon me.

And before the whole crowd she doffed it, and begged Merlin to take it and deliver her from such grievous peril.

XXVII

HERE IT IS TOLD OF A GREAT MOADDO WHO WAS INSULTED

A great Moaddo [53] went one day to Alexandria, and was going about his business when another man came behind him, and pronounced many insulting words, and made much mock of him, to which he did not reply a word.

So a man came forward and said: why do you not answer this fellow who addresses you so villainously?

And he patiently replied: and said to the man who urged him to make answer. I do not answer because I do not hear anything pleasing to me.

XXVIII

HERE IT IS TOLD OF A CUSTOM THAT EXISTED IN THE KINGDOM OF FRANCE

It was the custom in the kingdom of France that a man who deserved to be dishonoured and condemned should go in a cart.

And if it happened that he was condemned to death, never was found anyone willing to converse with him or stay with him for any reason.

Lancelot [54] when he became mad for love of Queen Guinevre went in the cart, and was driven to many places.

And from that day on the cart was no more despised, and ladies and knights of fine birth go in it now for their disport.

Alas! errant world and ignorant and discourteous people, how much greater was Our Lord who made the heaven and earth, than Lancelot who was made a knight [55] and changed and upset so great a usance in the kingdom of France, which was not his kingdom.

And Jesus Christ, Our Lord, pardoning His own enemies could not make men pardon theirs.

And this He did and willed in His kingdom to those who crucified Him.

He pardoned them, and prayed to His Father for them.

XXIX

HERE IT IS TOLD HOW SOME LEARNED ASTROLOGERS DISPUTED ABOUT THE EMPYREAN

Some very learned men at a school in Paris were disputing about the Empyrean [56], and spoke of it with great longing and how it was above the other heavens.

They spoke of the heaven where Jupiter is and Saturn and Mars, and that of the Sun and of Mercury and the Moon. And how that above all was the Empyrean. And above that is God the Father in all His majesty.

As they were thus conversing, there came to them a fool who said to them: gentlemen, what is there over the head of that gentleman? [57] One of the learned men answered jestingly: There is a hat. And the fool went away, and the wise men remained. One of them said: you think you have given the fool a rebuff, but it is we who have suffered it [58]. Now let us say: what is there overhead? [59] They put all their science to a test, but could find no answer. Then they said: a fool is he who is so bold as to put his mind outside the circle. [60] And still more foolish and rash is he who toils and meditates to discover his own origin [61].

And quite without sense is he who would know God’s profoundest thoughts.

XXX

HERE IT IS TOLD HOW A LOMBARD KNIGHT SQUANDERED HIS SUBSTANCE

A knight of Lombardy, whose name was G—— was a close friend of the Emperor Frederick, and had no sons to whom to leave his estate, although indeed he had heirs of his own kin. So he formed the resolve to spend all he possessed during his life-time, that nothing should be left after him.

He reckoned the number of years he might live, and added another ten. But he did not add enough, for wasting and squandering his goods, he was surprised by old age, and lived too long, and found himself in poverty, for he had squandered his all.

He took counsel for his sad state, and remembered the Emperor Frederick, who had shown him much friendship, and who had always spent much and given away much at his court.

He resolved to go to him, believing that he would be received with great affection [62].

So he went to the Emperor, and stood before him. He (the Emperor) asked who he was, although he knew him well. The knight told his name. He asked about his conditions. The knight told what had happened to him, and how he had been outwitted by time.

The Emperor replied: leave my court, and do not under penalty of your life, come into my territory again, for you are he who did not want that others should inherit aught after your death.

XXXI

HERE IT IS TOLD OF A STORY-TELLER OF MESSER AZZOLINO

Messer Azzolino [63] had a story-teller whom he made tell him tales during the long nights of winter. It happened that one night the story-teller had a great desire to sleep, while Azzolino urged him to tell tales.

The story-teller began a tale of a countryman who had a hundred byzantines [64] of his own which he took with him to the market to buy sheep at the price of two per byzantine. Returning with his sheep he came to a river he had passed before much swollen with the rains which had recently fallen. Standing on the bank, he saw a poor fisherman with a boat, but of so small a size that there was only room for the countryman and one sheep at a time. Then the countryman began to cross over with one sheep, and he began to row: the river was wide. He rowed and passed over.

And here the story-teller ceased his tale.

Azzolino said: go on! And the story-teller replied: let the sheep cross over and then I will tell you the tale. Since the sheep would not have crossed in a year, he could meanwhile sleep at his ease. [65]

XXXII

OF THE GREAT DEEDS OF PROWESS OF RICCAR LOGHERCIO OF THE ISLE

Riccar Loghercio was Lord of the Isle, and was a great gentleman of Provence, and a man of great courage and prowess.

And when the Saracens came to attack Spain, he was in that battle called the Spagnata, the most perilous battle that there has been since that of the Greeks and the Trojans. Then were the Saracens in great number, with many kinds of engines, and Riccar Loghercio was the leader of the first battalion. And as the horses could not be put in the van for fear of the engines, he bade his followers turn the hindquarters of their horses towards the enemy; and they backed so long that they found themselves in the enemy’s midst.

And so the battle proceeded and they continued to slay right and left, so that they utterly destroyed the enemy.

And when, on another occasion, the Count of Toulouse was fighting against the Count of Provence, Riccar Loghercio descended from his steed, and mounted on a mule, and the Count said: What does this mean, Riccar? Messer, I wish to show that I am good neither for pursuit nor for flight.

Herein he showed his great liberality, which was greater in him than in any other knight. [66]

XXXIII

HERE IS TOLD A TALE OF MESSER IMBERAL DEL BALZO

Messer Imberal del Balzo [67] had a great castle in Provence, and he made much account of auguries as the Spaniards do, and a philosopher, whose name was Pythagoras and came from Spain [68], wrote an astronomical table, in which were many meanings of animals, according to the twelve signs of the zodiac. When birds quarrel. When a man finds a weasel in the road. When the fire sings, and many meanings of jays and magpies and crows and of many other animals, according to the moon.

And so Messer Imberal, riding one day with his company, was taking great care to avoid these birds, for he feared to encounter an augury. He found a woman on his path, and asked her and said: tell me, good woman, whether you have this morning found or seen any birds such as crows, ravens or magpies.

And the woman answered: Sir, I saw a crow on the trunk of a willow tree. Now tell me, woman, in what direction was it holding its tail? And the woman replied: Sir, it held it turned towards its behind. [69] Then Messer Imberal feared the augury, and said to his companions: before God, I will ride no more to-day nor to-morrow in the face of this augury.

And often was this tale told in Provence, because of the novel reply which that woman had inadvertently given.

XXXIV

HOW TWO NOBLE KNIGHTS LOVED EACH OTHER WITH A GREAT LOVE

Two noble knights loved each other with a great love. The name of one was Messer G—— and the name of the other Messer S——.

These two knights had long loved each other.

Then one of them began to think and say to himself in this wise: Messer S. has a fine palfrey. Were I to ask him, would he give it me? And so thinking, would he or would he not, he came to believe at last that he would not. The knight was much disturbed.

And he began to encounter his friend with a strange manner. And, thinking over the thing every day, he grew more and more glum. He ceased to speak to his friend and turned the other way when he met him.

The people wondered greatly, and he wondered too greatly himself.

It chanced one day that Messer S., he who owned the palfrey, could bear it no longer. He went to his friend and said: my friend, why do you not speak to me? Why are you angry? The other replied: because I asked you for your palfrey and you denied it me.

And the other replied: that was never so. It cannot be. The palfrey and my own person are yours, for I love you as myself.

Then the knight became reconciled with his friend and he turned to the old amity, and recognised that he had not thought well [70].

XXXV

HERE IT IS TOLD OF MASTER THADDEUS OF BOLOGNA

Master Thaddeus, as he was instructing his medical scholars, propounded that whoever should continue for nine days to eat egg-plant [71] would go mad.

And he proved it according to the law of psychic [72].

One of his scholars, hearing this lesson, decided to put it to the test. He began to eat egg-plant, and at the end of nine days went before his master and said: master, that lesson you read us is not true, because I have put it to the test, and I am not mad.

And he rose and showed him his behind.

Write, said the master, that all this about the egg-plant has been proved, and he wrote a fresh essay on the subject.

XXXVI

HERE IT IS TOLD HOW A CRUEL KING PERSECUTED THE CHRISTIANS

There was once a most cruel king [73] who persecuted God’s people. And his power was passing great, and yet he could achieve nothing against that people, for God loved them.

This king spoke with Balaam the prophet, and said: tell me, Balaam, how comes this matter with my foes? Am I indeed more powerful than they, and yet can do them no harm?

And Balaam answered: Sire, because they are God’s people. But I will do in this way, that I will go unto them and will curse them, and you shall attack them and shall win the victory.

So this Balaam mounted his ass, and went up on to a mountain.

The people were almost all down in the valley; and he went up to curse them from the mountain [74].

Then the angel of God went before him, and did not let him pass. And he pricked his ass, thinking it was frightened, and it spoke and said: do not beat me, for I see here the angel of the Lord with a sword of fire in his hand, and he will not let me pass.

Then the prophet Balaam looked and beheld the angel. And the angel spoke and said: why are you going to curse God’s people. You shall bless them straightaway, just as you desired to curse them, unless you wish to die.

The prophet went and blessed God’s people, and the king said: what do you do? This is not cursing.

And he replied: it cannot be otherwise, for the angel of the Lord so bade me. Therefore, do in this way [75]. You have beautiful women: they have a lack of them. Take a number of them and dress them richly and set on their breasts a buckle [76] of gold or silver for an ornament, on which let there be carved the idol which you adore (for he adored the statue of Mars) and you will speak to them as follows: that they do not yield unless the men promise to adore that image and figure of Mars. And then when they have sinned, I shall be free to curse them.

And so the king did.

He took some fair women in that manner, and sent them into the camp.

The men were desirous of them, and they consented and adored the idols and then sinned with them.

Then the prophet went and cursed God’s people, and God did not succour them.

And that king gave battle, and defeated them all.

Wherefore the just suffered the penalty of those who sinned. They repented and atoned and drove away the women, and became reconciled to God and returned to their former freedom.

XXXVII

HERE IT IS TOLD OF A BATTLE BETWEEN TWO KINGS OF GREECE

There were two kings in the parts of Greece, and one of them was more powerful than the other. They went into battle together: the more powerful one lost.

He went home and shut himself into a room, wondering if he had not dreamed, and soon began to believe he had not fought at all.

Meanwhile the angel of God came to him, and said: how are you? Of what are you thinking? You have not dreamed, but have fought indeed and were beaten.

And the king looked upon the angel and said: how can that be? I had thrice as many troops as he; and the angel replied: and yet it has come to pass, since you are an enemy of God.

Then the king replied: oh, is my enemy then such a friend of God that he has beaten me for that reason?

No, said the angel, for God revenges Himself upon His enemies by means of His enemies. Go you once more with your army, and you shall defeat him even as he defeated you.

Then he went and fought anew with his foe, and defeated him and captured him as the angel had foretold.

XXXVIII

OF AN ASTROLOGER CALLED MELISUS, WHO WAS REPRIMANDED BY A WOMAN

There was one named Melisus [77] who was exceedingly learned in many sciences and especially in astrology, as can be read in the sixth book of De Civitate Dei [78].

And it is said that this wise man once passed the night in the house of a poor woman.

When he went to his rest in the evening, he said to the woman: look you, woman, leave the house door open to-night, for I am accustomed to get up and study the stars.

The woman left the door open.

That night it rained, and before the house there was a ditch filled with water.

When the wise man rose, he fell into it. He began to cry for help. The woman asked: what is the matter? He answered: I have fallen into a ditch. Oh you poor fellow, said the woman, you gaze up at the sky and cannot mind your feet.

The woman got up and helped him, for he was perishing in a little ditch of water from absentmindedness. [79]

XXXIX

HERE IT IS TOLD OF BISHOP ALDEBRANDINO, AND HOW HE WAS MOCKED BY A FRIAR

When Bishop Aldebrandino [80] was living in his Palace at Orvieto, he was at table one day, in the company of various Franciscans, and there being one of them who was eating an onion with much relish; the Bishop watching him, said to a page: Go to that friar, and tell him that gladly would I change stomachs with him.

The page went and told him.

And the friar answered: go, and tell Messere that I well believe he would change with me, with regard to his stomach, but not with regard to his bishopric.

XL

OF A MINSTREL WHOSE NAME WAS SALADIN [81]

Saladin was a minstrel who, being in Sicily one day at table with many knights, was washing his hands; and a knight said to him: wash your mouth and not your hands.

And Saladin replied: Messer, I have not spoken of you to-day.

Then as they were strolling about, to rest after eating, Saladin was questioned by another knight, who said: tell me, Saladin, if I wished to tell a story of mine, to whom must I tell it as being the wisest amongst us? Saladin answered: Messer, tell it to whoever appears to you to be the most foolish.

The knights questioned this answer, and begged him to expatiate upon it.

Saladin replied: to fools every fool appears wise because of his resemblance.

Therefore whoever appears most foolish to a fool, will be the wisest, because wisdom is the contrary of folly. To every fool wise men seem fools. Therefore to wise men fools seem truly foolish and full of doltishness.

XLI

A TALE OF MESSER POLO TRAVERSARO

Messer Polo Traversaro [82] came from Romagna, and was the greatest noble in all that land, and he ruled over almost all of it without opposition.

There were three very swaggering knights, and they held that in all Romagna there was no man worthy to sit with them as a fourth in company.

And so in their meeting-place they had a bench for three, and more could not be seated thereon, and no one dared to seat himself there for fear of their truculence.

And although Messer Polo was their superior and in other things, they were obedient to his commands, yet in that desirable place he did not dare to sit. They admitted, however, that he was the first lord of Romagna and the one who came nearest of all to making a fourth in their company.

What did the three knights do, seeing that Messer Polo was pressing them hard? They walled up half the door of their palace so that he could not enter [83]. For the man was of a very stout build. Not being able to enter, he undressed and went in in his shirt.

When they heard him, they got into their beds, and had themselves covered up as though they were ill.

Messer Polo, who had thought to find them at table, discovered them in bed. He comforted them, and interrogated them, and inquired as to their ailments, and perceiving everything, took his leave and went away.

The knights said: this is no joke!

They went to the village of one of their number where he had a beautiful little castle with moats and a draw-bridge.

They decided to winter there. One day Messer Polo went thither with a numerous company, and when they wanted to enter, the three knights raised the bridge. Say what they would, they did not succeed in entering.

So they went away.

When the winter had passed, the knights returned to the city.

Messer Polo, at their return, did not rise, and they were astonished, and one of them said: O Messer, alack, is this the courtesy you show? When strangers come to your city, do you show them no honour?

And Messer Polo replied: pardon me, gentle sirs, if I do not rise save for the bridge that rose for me.

Then the knights made much of him.

One of the knights died, and the other two sawed off the third of the bench on which they sat, when the third was dead, because in all Romagna they could not find any knight who was worthy to sit in his place.

XLII

HERE IS TOLD AN EXCELLENT TALE OF WILLIAM OF BORGANDA OF PROVENCE

William of Borganda [84] was a noble knight of Provence in the days of Count Raymond Berenger [85].

One day it came to pass that some knights were boasting [86] and William boasted that there was no nobleman in Provence whom he had not knocked from his saddle, and then he said that there was no woman in Provence who deserved the honour of a tournament [87]. And this he said in the Count’s presence. And the Count answered: does that include me too? William replied: yes, you, my lord; I say it to you.

He sent for his horse, saddled and well caparisoned, attached his spurs, and set his feet in the stirrups, and when he was ready, he turned to the Count and said: you sir, I neither include nor accept [88]. And he mounted his horse and spurred it and went off. The Count was so sore grieved that he did not return to the court.

One day some ladies were gathered together for a splendid banquet; and they sent for William of Borganda, and the Countess was there and they said: now tell us, William, why you have so insulted the ladies of Provence? It shall cost you dear.

Each one of them had a stick hidden away.

The one who acted as spokeswoman said: lo! William for your folly it behoves you to die.

And William spoke, and said, seeing that he was taken unawares in such a fashion: I beg you, ladies, by your courtesy that you grant me one favour. The ladies answered: ask, save that you ask not to escape.

Then William spoke and said: ladies, I beg you of your courtesy that whoever among you be the greatest hussy be the first to strike me.

Then they looked at one another: no one was found willing to deal the first blow, and so on that occasion he got away unscathed [89].

XLIII

HERE IT IS TOLD OF MESSER GIACOPINO RANGONE AND WHAT HE DID TO A COURT PLAYER

Messer Giacopino Rangone [90], a noble knight of Lombardy, being one day at table, had two flasks of very fine white and red wine before him.

A buffoon being at the table, did not dare to ask for some of the wine, much as he desired to. Getting up, and taking a beaker, he washed it well and ostentatiously. Then when he had washed it, he flourished it in his hand and said: sire, I have washed it.

And Messer Giacopino put his hand into the glass and said: Well you can complete your toilet [91] somewhere else.

The buffoon remained there and had no wine.

XLIV

OF A QUESTION THAT WAS PUT TO A COURTIER

Marco Lombardo [92] was a noble courtier and extremely wise. One Christmas he was in a city, where they distributed many gifts, and he received none. He found another courtier who was an ignorant man compared with him, and yet he had received many presents. This gave rise to a good remark, for that courtier said to Marco: how is this, Marco, that I have received seven gifts and you none? And yet you are far superior to me and wiser. What is the reason?

And Marco replied: only this, that you found more of your kind than I of mine.

XLV

HOW LANCELOT FOUGHT AT A FOUNTAIN

Sir Lancelot was fighting one day at a fountain with a knight of Sansonia [93] whose name was Aliban; and they fought keenly, with their swords, dismounted from their horses.

And when they paused to draw breath, they asked one another’s names.

Sir Lancelot replied: since you desire to hear my name, know that I am called Lancelot.